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Camp Essayons

In July 2006 Camp Essayons closed and preperations were made to transfer ownership of the facility to the Republic of Korea. This tranfer was completed 15 July 2006. Mention of this shift was made in US-ROK Land Partnership Plan in 2002, when the expected date of closure was 2010.

The 102nd Military Intelligence Battalion generally occupied Camp Essayons' 56 acres. The facility's primary mission was to provide military intelligence support for 2nd Infantry Division. The population of the camp was approximately 600, with 450 of that being US Military personnel and 135 being civilians employed by the Department of the Army. Camp Essayons was located near Camps Red Cloud and Stanley, and the closest urban center was Uijongbu City with a population of 280,000, within which the facility was located. Camp Essayons was 20 miles north of Seoul. Its climate features included, on average, summers between 80 and 90 oF, winters between -5 and 30 oF, and 48-56" of rain during a rainy season between July and August.

Camp Essayons was one of the 42 camps north of Seoul authorized Hardship Duty Pay of $150 per month as of 1 January 2001. The Hardship Duty Pay is paid to troops who are permanently assigned to areas where it is authorized or who serve 30 consecutive days of temporary duty in those areas. Several factors are considered in determining whether a location qualified for the pay: climate, physical and social isolation, sanitation, disease, medical facilities, housing, food, recreational and community facilities, political violence, harassment and crime. The extra pay provides meaningful financial recognition to troops assigned in areas where living conditions are substantially below US standards.

Army Community Service was not available. The 2nd Infantry Division's 17 installations operated on a hub system that gave Division soldiers access to services not available on their installations. Camp Essayons was near Camps Red Cloud and Stanley, which offer many of the services not available on Camp Essayons. No Family Employment Assistance was provided at Camp Essayons. A Housing Office and Education Center were provided Family Quarters were not available. All but 76 of the Division's soldiers served one-year unaccompanied tours. All soldiers lived in on-post quarters.

General Area Information

National Parks and Resorts: Tobong, Soyo and Surak Mountains are all in the area, as is the Songdu Resort. Also, there are many parks, resorts, historical sites and entertainment areas in Korea. Because of the country's size and excellent transortation system, all these sites are within a day's travel from anywhere in the Division area. On-post tour and travel offices, Morale, Welfare and Recreation offices, and the USO offer regular excursions.